Manage your subscription

Westminster dairy

By Tam Dalyell

IN RESPONSE to Prime Minister Tony Blair’s recent speech on science at the Royal Society, a New Scientist Editorial suggested that to get a handle on public concerns over issues such as the acceptability of genetically modified crops or work on stem cells, Britain should consider setting up “citizens’ juries” along the lines of those advising the Danish parliament or Folketing (1 June, p 5).

When I put the idea of citizens’ juries to the Cabinet Office, Minister of State Douglas Alexander agreed that they can be a valuable way of sensing public attitudes. In fact, …